Today’s CC Vinyl took me a long, long time to find. The soundtrack for this Hong Kong Australian co-production was only ever released in Japan and is quite rare. It features a fantastic title track -‘Sky High’ by Jigsaw – and is supplemented by sound library-style chase and mood music by Noel Quinlan. And, despite its mediocre artwork, it has cars on the sleeve.
Here we have a VK Valiant Charger and what I think is meant to be an HK Holden. The van as it appears in the in the film is a Commer and there’s also some motorcycle action.
As well as some sexy action.
Apparently this was written for Bruce Lee, but Jimmy Wang Yu got the job instead. He found himself hand-to-hand against badguy George Lazenby channelling a Bond who’d quit Her Majesty’s Secret Service years ago and joined the darkside to keep earning. I wish they’d used this artwork on the cover of the soundtrack.
For those of you with a lazy afternoon to fill, here is the whole movie. But be warned – it’s in a style known as Ozploitation; that is to say, not quite Eric Rohmer.
If you’re just wanting some car chase, here’s seven minutes of squealing down the mountain where our hero commandeers the Charger to capture an XW Ford Falcon with occasional guest stars such as this EJ Holden.
And here is the title track.
What makes the Japanese pressing so special is that it features a unique version of ‘Sky High’. The cut from the Jigsaw album was a great start, but some super-climactic string and brass reworking by occasional Paul McCartney collaborator Richard Hewson lifts it to a whole new level. The best James Bond song that never was.
Enjoy the hang gliding footage over 1970s Hong Kong, or have a listen while you keep reading CC.
I always wondered what happened to George Lazenby – nice to know he was still getting work after being booted from the Bond job (hey, he was better than Roger Moore), even if it wasn’t big time stuff.
I knew a guy who used to ride trailbikes with Lazenby. Caught a few of the stories, clearly there was much regret in his ‘lack of appreciation’ at the time.
The vocalist sounds a lot like Debbie Harry. Hard to believe she is 70 now!
It’s a shame this movie was never released in North America. It would’ve been interesting to see what George Lazenby did other than James Bond. I’ve always enjoyed car chase scenes. Are there any more scenes from this movie besides what is shown here?
I think it might have been released in the US as ‘The Dragonflies’. Youtube has a bunch of other scenes as well.
I’m afraid I’ve never seen that title anywhere.
I saw this movie back in the ’70’s in Las Vegas. “Dragonflies” sounds right, I don’t remember the name of it really at all, but as soon as I saw the opening titles, it came back..
I’m too young to remember. I was born in 1973. If it’s available on DVD, or perhaps Netflix, I’ll have to check it out.
I still have the 45 of this title. Played it till it was white. It was the string section that always did it for me.
Nice. Thanks.
This is the album cut on 45. The difference is relatively subtle, but its such a great track anyway.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mudlXF3MA8Q
Yeah, Don. I could tell the difference after listening to it so many times. My ear comes to expect a certain thing. It’s great either way. Sets the proper tone as a movie theme !
Yeah, that’s the hit version on Chelsea Records. Music Mike is a great curator on YouTube.
Well Don, I just watched the whole movie on YouTube with bad effect on my Saturday productivity! Fortunately my wife was at work … Those Ozzie Falcons can sure take a licking and keep on ticking, though at some point they become rather flammable.
Marathon effort dman.
I’m embarrassed to say that the whole time I was watching the big chase I thought the blue fastback commandeered by the cop was also a Falcon, since it rather looked like a down-sized ’68-69Torino. I guess that’s the Charger. I thought I’d learned a lot about Ozzie cars here on CC but I guess I’m still a noob. I guess that explains why it couldn’t outrun the older Falcon … it’s just a slant six. (Just kidding).
We’d deep-sixed the slant six by then. That Charger’s got a hemi!
Paul wrote up a 71 VH Charger here
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cohort-classic-1971-australian-valiant-charger-rt-hemi-six-pack-that-thing-got-a-hemi-um-not-quite/
I remember the song, never seen the film.
Same for most Aussies my age, too. I never knew the song tied in to a movie till now. In my neighbourhood, movies were something rich people went to see.
By the way, the credits credit Chrysler Australia for providing the stunt vehicles, but most appeared to be Fords or Holden’s, except for the Commer van. Maybe Chrysler just needed to get rid of some trade-ins, or maybe it was a not-so-subtle message that Fords and Holdens would burst into flames on the slightest impact.
The “Every Car is a Pinto” trope. It is absolutely essential for action films to have explosions with balls of orange flames?, or else we pyro men will trash the theater. That’s as indispensable as romance in Chick Flicks. And bonus points for a motorcycle or car taking a flying leap off a Grand Canyon-sized cliff.
I also like how several minutes elapse & yet the hero still is shown changing gears, as if he didn’t really go all-out until then. Sort of like War Emergency Power.
Hahaha! This is just a plot to burglar-proof your house, isn’t it?
Mission accomplished. Enjoy those lower insurance premiums.
Great car chase, watched it twice already, probably watch it again before the days out.
Charger took a pounding , you can see the engine shake when it hits the Falcon in the shots after it lost its hood.
and you can hear the distinctive uneven exhaust note of the Aussie Hemi six.
I think I remember reading an article that the Charger was repaired and sold after the film was finished.
It was a loaner from Chrysler they wern’t suposed to damage it.
After they finished shooting the movie the Charger was taken to a panel beater and repaired before being returned to Chrysler whos sold it.
there’s something extra scary about these low budget chase scenes from the seventies especially when they are all driving on the wrong 🙂 side of the road!
Well, in a chase you’re bound to pull right into the oncoming lane occasionally.